Cotton-picker.



PATENTED DEC. 8, 1907.

G. P. GREENE. COTTON PICKER.

. APILIOATION FILED SEPT. 7. 1905.

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PATBNTED DEC. 3, 1907.

' a. F. GREENE.

COTTON PIGKER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 872,840. PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

G- F. GREENE.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLIOATIOKI'ILED 83131. 7, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNrr STITE PATENT FFICE.

COTTONPICKER.

Specification of Ill-otters Patent.

{Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed September '7. 1905- Serial No. 277338.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT F. GREENE, a resident of Washington,District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Cotton-Pickers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to mechanism for harvesting cotton and has forits object to provide simple and efficient devices for 000* nominallypicking andrccciving the cotton.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and.pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification,-Figure 1 is a artial pers .ectivc of a cotton carrier orvchicle provh ed with a cott n-conveying-tube for connection with theimproved pickers sufficient to pick a plu'ralityof rows; Fig. 2 is [asimilar view, on a larger scale, of a picker;

Fig. 3 is a side view of two friction disks; Fig. 4 is a side view of areversing means; Fig. 4 shows a bearing for one end of the pickershafts;Fig. 5 is a side viewof a wheel guard; Figs. 6 and 7 are sections onlines 6, 6

and 7, 7 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a partial perspec-v tive view of areversing device; Fig. 9 is a cross section of a preferred form of wagonbody.

' Numeral 1 denotes a carrier or vehicle of any referred or approvedkind, driven prcl crab y by a motor indicated at 2 and in the directionof the arrow (1 in which case it' it would luiwevcr be operative withthe imtube and 4 its receiving branchcs.

proved devices if driven or drawn oppositely, that is over the un nckcdcotton which in :such casc'would be picked at the rear end of Thisprovides for simultaneously picking tcn rows,- cach operator pickingtwo. L

Yl\}l(\ iwngon straddles a row and the machine provides for picking aplurality of rows outside 'suitably connected to the motor.

its path. It might be made to straddle a plurality of rows.

The branchcotton-receiving tubes are preferably flexible and providedwith means such as straps 6 whereby they may be conveniently supportedfrom the operators person.

7 denotes a handle fixed to a picker-spin dle-supporting frame 8 havinga pointed nose 9 and transverse parts 10, 11 and 12 which affordsuitable bearings for the picker spindle 13. This frame is convenientlymade of she eit metal but cast metal or wood could be user The pickerspindle has a removable section normally held in connection with thegear wheel section by a slidable sleeve 13*, Fig. 4 and is driven by aflexible sha t 14 Said shaft. has a hearing at 15 and is provided with afriction disk 16 operativcly situated with respect to the friction disks17 and 12s of a spool connected by a spline 19 with the spindle. By thisconstruction the direction of the rotation of the spindle can bereversed without reversing that of the driving shaft.

20 is a shifter or reversing lever having a fulcrum at 20 and combinedwith a return ing spring 21. This shifting device has a claw embracingthe spindle between two collars 22* fixed to the describeds ool. The endof said shifter contiguous disk 17 of the spool is so shaped as to pressagainst it and move it toward the forward end' of the spindle therebyputting disk 17 in operative contact witlithe driving disk 16. ()nreleasing the shifter the spring 20 returns it and the spool to theirnormal positions, in which disk 18 is in situation to be driven by thedisk 16. By these means the spindle can be driven in either direction atwill. In some cases it may be desirable to effect such reversalauton'iaticall'y and for this a friction disk 16 such as shown in Fig. 3having a part of its periphery cut away may be substituted for thecircular disk 16 and these disks may be madeinterchangeable. In thiscase part 20 is a more holding device for the spool and in if, ashiflingdevice.

Upon the picker spindle are supported a plurality of rods 22 eachprovided with a cotton-gnlliering brush or the like indicated at 23 androtatably held in suitable bearings. [11 the present instance these areprovided in metal disks 2-!- lixed to the ends of a wooden cylinder 25which has grooves 26 to receive the rods as shown..' The use of thiscylinder ill] ' dise agagement. with a branch conduit 4 and its receiptsare bother made of wood or other material is not. essential to otherparts of the improve ment. Such ('Nlileder however furnishes firmsupport rot-e16 rods 32 and excludes the lint- .\'lll(l\ might becollected by an open frame.

The rods-32 are extended. outside the bearings in. disks Bl andprovided. with reversing wing-s 7 Normally the trailing wings bear on asuitable plate or bearing: surl'ace Zn and. the brushes are thereby heldin situation to pick cotton. llut they pass oll' said surfaces and oilthe spring; portions 25% thereof adja ent Mug-reversing stops 2t) oneither side ax-rordinp to the direction of rotation so that the forwardwings caused to engage said stops by the rotation. of the spindle andits disks are held and together with the rods and brushes aresuelwssively reversed in position, and in such manner that the brushbristles or teeth are drawn from the picked cotton by the continuedrotation of the brush-supportin; frame and the eo-action oistrippingteeth 30 or the like. These are any approved kind and inclinedownwardly toward and nearly to the path of the brush whereby bolls andleaves accident-ally picked from the bush may. be retained above theteeth and thrown oll' above by the reaction of the teeth when relievedl'rom the pressure caused by the brush carrying picked cotton. Theyhold. pll'lfittl. cotton in a yielding manner against the pressure ofthe brush until the latter is in. position to be stripped. Cotton thuspicked is dropped into a sack 31 detachably connected to the open bottomof the frame 8 by nooks, or other fastenings permitting easy This sackcommunicates drawn by the tan into the wagon body. The improvements inthe picker proper however are nit limited to a combination with a fan orequivalent nor to the use of the described system of collecting tubessince said picker would be operative were cotton discharged from it bygravity.

The piekernpporting; frame having the handle and nose provides for easyand cite rient manipulation and the sack provides for the collection ofthe picked cotton. The reversible 'brushes facilitate the discharge ofthe picked cotton. The reversible spindle and brush in: me provide forpicking at either the right or left hand side. This is specially usefulin pie-king pendent'bolls which being moved laterally by the action ot abrush'or brushes to remove cotton on one side thereof can be returnedand picked on the opposite side by merely ehaugii'ig the direction ofthe rotati n oi the spindle. The advantage ol siinuliarieouslv picking aconsiderable pluralit of r ws secured by the construction, ss-iveral robeing by prel'erenee in practi e entirely outside the wagon path.

it will be understood that each picker has a: dzivin; shalt andconveying tube and that these by preference are connected to thespindle-supporting frame near the rear end ol the frame in trout ol thehandle and between said handle and the picking devices PIUPQI' 'llie'lramc is open on its upper side to permil the picking operation, andhas onits nuih-r side a rerriver which is preleuably a sack mltendiuy;the hill length of the picker. So far as the main impiviven'ients andoperation are concerned the invention would not be avoided by mechanicalvariations in the structure such the provision of an integral frame andliaifrdle, or the making of these parts of wire/{sheet metal, woodorother materials, or the use in what may be called the cottonpiekingbrush o'l' bristles, wires, lingers, springs or any known equivalent. Nosuitable means for securing, or 001- lecting. the cotton from theindividual piel ers are excluded and it is obvious that the particularsituation of the returning spring is immaterial and that it is onlyinniiortant that means he provided for suitably reversing the operationof the friction gear or other equivalent means for transmitting power.

The handle as indicated is made in form and size to adapt it for use byboth hands of the operator andthe picker can be readily thrust intoevery part of a'bush and in many cases, as when the growth good and thecrop mz-iturd, without aiming at. particular bolls. The picker-drivingshatts are by preference arranged contiguous the cottoncollectingtube-branches, at least at their lower part, and a strap 42 may besupplied to prevent their accidental separation. to an inconvenientextent.

My improvement is designed for the pickin}; of two rows oneach sidethereof by a laborer walking between them. This is effected by simplypassing the picker from one side to the other oi the cotton bushes bothon the right and left hand side. -.To enable this to be done the pickermade similar and operative on each side and is made reversible andprovided with a handle for its convenient manipulation.

I am aware that piclqers with handles have been proposed. but in noneknown to me has a pirkingwlevice with two similar and practicall}parallel and operative sidesbcen combined with means for reversing, andwith a handle substantially herein set l'orth, wherein the proximatesides of two rows and also tluir remote sides can be picked, and wherebyalso the picker can be thrust endwise in the midst of a bush and thereheld and picking v efi'ected on both sides thereof within the bush.

in Fig. 8 is shown a modification of the spindle rm using notes thereversing lever and Ilil disks lixed on an endwise shil'table drivingshaft 214. "ll; is obvious that such construction \\'ould devices inwhich 32 (lo-- teeth 30 and if a boll has been pulled down f bushes.

ing the rotation of itsspindle-support facilitate withdrawal of thebrush bristles or teeth from: the cotton, but it relieves the cottonjust picked by it, from pressure toward the by the brush it is released.In such case the spring teeth 30 tend to throw it up and if it bebrokenfrom the bush it will drop to the ground.

30 the next brush moving upward will revmove it.

provided with gears 37 meshing with gears 38ihaving hearings in saidbrackets 36 and fixed to the flexible shafts. The gear-supportingbrackets preferably extend laterally from the wagon body. The latter canbe made as Wide at the top as desired, but will preferably be contractedat the bottom to avoid serious interference with the cotton The wheelscan be made of comparatively small diameter to run under thev bushes andcan be supported to turn on brackets 39 fixed to the body, thus avoidingthe use .of axle-trees or other transverse parts beneath the body. Toobviate the catching of limbs by the wheel spokes, shields 40 aresecured to the body over the wheels.

,The screws 41 or other fastenings provide small diameter, and adaptedto fend off bush branches, affords a construction spespindle, a .brushsupported on-the spindle, a

cially suitable for gathering cot-ton.

Havingdescribed the invention what I claim is- 1. A cotton picker havinga reversible motor to operate said spindle, connecting mechanism, andmeans for reversing the direction of the spindle at any period in itsmovement. A cotton picker having a reversible spindle, a motor to rotatesaid spindle, connecting mechanism, means for reversing the direction ofthe spindle at any period in its movement, a reversible brush supportedon the spindle, and means for automatically reversing the brushindependently of the supprwt-reversing-means.

3. A cotton picker having a reversible brush support, mechanismtoreverse it, a

7 If the spindle be reversed when a. boll or other obstruction restsabove teeth brush pivoted on said support, and means to automaticallyreverse the brush said means comprising parts fixed to the support andbrush.

4. In a cotton icker, a reversible rotating spindle, a pluraity ofoscillating brushes pivoted thereon, means whereby said brushes pickcotton irrespective of the direction of rotation of the s )indle,devices for reversing the s indle at will, and means for causing thebrus ice to oscillate independently of the direction of the rotarymovement of the spindle,

5. In a cotton picker, the single rotatable spindle, means for reversingthe direction of its rotation, a brush pivotally supported from thespindle, co-aeting stripping teeth situated normally at the side of thebrush holder and co-extensive lengthwise therewith, and means forreceiving the picked cotton whatever the direction of the spindlerotation.

6. A cotton picker consistin of a sin le brush-carrying rotatable spine, a spindle supporting frame, a frame support, flexible connectionssuspending the frame from its support, a frame handle, means forreversing at will the direction of the rotation of said spindleindependently of the handle, and a plurality of oscillatin brushespivotally supported from the spind e and parallel thereto, combined withmeans for holding a part of the brushes on each side of a plane passingthrough the spindle axis in an operative situa ltion to pick cotton, andwith means whereby the brushes are automatically turned each on itspivot to withdraw it from the picked cotton'without reversing thespindle.

7. A vehicle, a cotton picker having a the brush-supporting spindle.

8.. A spinr le-supporting frame having the handle and nose, a spindle, aplurality of oscillating brushes sup iorted by and parallel to thespindle, an a sack co-extensivc with the brushes, said handleconstituting the sole sup )ort.of the plurality of brushes and the sack,whereby they may be freely thrust in any direction and cotton from theseveral brushes deposited directly into the sack.

9. A vehicle, the spindie-supporting frame having at one end a handlenulepemlent of the vehicle for its manipulation and at the. other apointed nose, :1 spindle rotatable within theframc, means for rotatingit, a

plurality of cotton-picking brushes each pivotally supported on thespindle, and a cotton receiver connected to the frame and situateddirectly under the several brushes to receive cotton drop ed directlyfrom the several brushes.

10; The spindle-supporting frame having at one end a handle for itsmanipulation and at the other a pointed nose, arotatable brushsupportingspindle'situ'atcd Within the frame,

a plurality of oscillating cotton -picking brushes turning separately inbearings supported on the spindle and parallel thereto, a cottonreceiverconnected to theframe length- Wise thereof and under the severalbrushes, and means to convey the cotton from the receiver, said handleconstituting the. sole support of the frame.

11. A spindle-supporting frame, a reversible brush-supporting spindle,m'eans for reversing the spindle at will, said supporting frame beingmovable at will in all directions, and a handle, said handleconstituting the sole support of the spindle and frame, combined with aplurality of pivoted oscillating brushes parallel to the spindle,mechanism to automatically reverse the' brushes on the reversiblesupportingspindle to pick cotton whatever the direction of rotation ofsaid spindle.-

12. A reversible rotatable brush support,

, combined with a plurality of pivoted brushes,

said brushes being operative independently of the direction of rotationof their support, and devices for discharging cotton from the brushessituated on opposite sides of said support, parallel to and. co-actingwith the brushes lengthwise thereof.

13. A reversibly rotatable brush support, combined with brushesoperative independently of the direction of rotation of their supportvdcvipes for discharging the cotton from the brushes, said devices beingsituated on opposite sides of said support, and. a saclr connected tothe support.

1-1. The spindle frame having two compartments, the brushes, thestripping devices, both brushes and strippers being supportei'l withinone compartment, spindle driving and reversing gr ar situated in theother conipartment, and the spindle extending through bothcompartmerits.

The open-to mcd spindle frame having the nose and handle andindependently movable in all directions, the spindle, the severalbrushes independently supported from the spindle and surrounding thesaline, both spindle and brushes being within the sides of the frame,cmubincd with a cottonconveying tube connected to the frame in front ofthe handle. said nose being approximately conical with a basetransversely coextensive n'ilh lho frame.

H3. in a cotton picking device, the combination ofa spindle-sixpportingframe, a frame handle for directing the same, a frame'support, flexibleconnections suspending the frame from the support, a reversible spindle,devices for picking cotton situated on each side of a plane passingthrough the spindle axis in practically parallel lines, means foractuating the picking devices, and nieansfor reversing them. wherebycotton can be com veniently pic-lied on opposite sides of said planewhether the spindle be reversed or not...

17. In combination, a wagon, a pickerbrush-suppmting-frame, a pluralityof pickerbrushes, a flexible picker-operating shaft, a

cotton coilecting tube, a detachable sack,

said sack being attached to the frame and'coextensive with the brusheslengthwise thereof, and a handle to carry the frame, brushes,

sack, an end of the shaft and one end of the tube. i

In combination with the frame, a pinrality of independently pivoted andhide 'pendently reversible picker brushes, and a detachable sack, saidsack being co-extensive with the. brushes lengthwise thereof andenlarged in capacity toward its delivery end for free and continuousdischarge of cotton.

19. The combination of a vehicle, a motor, and a picking devicecomprising a rotatable spindle, with, a flexible cotton-collecting tube,a separate flexible picker driving shaft, means to keep the tube andshaft 'suliaceut each other. a spindle-supperfing frame, a handle inline with the frame to support and manipulate said picker device andadapted to thrust the picker endwise at angle and from a point in anyplane within the reach of the tube, said tube and shaft being when inoperation pendent from the handle. and means for supporting the outerends of the tube and shaft from the person of the manipulator, saidmeans connecting with the tube and shaft between the picking devices andmotor.

30. The combination ofa vehicle, a spindle supporting frame, flexibleconnections between the vehicle and frame, a reversible spindle, aplurality of independently acting pivoted brushes separaiely supportedon and parallel to the spindle and surrounding the same, and a framehandle.

The combination of a horizontal reversible brush-supporting spindle, aplurality of reversible brushes on said support, means forsinudlan'eously holding a part' of the bruslu's on the upper side ofsaid spindle in operative situation to pick cotton both before and :fiilthe reversal of the spindle and for as d oma'i ically reversing themupon reversing the spindle. said spindle bcingreversible at will andindependently of its support, and means to receive pic-Led cotton sideof the picker. w

22. in a rollon picker, a spindle-suppori ing frame. a rolaial-le brush-supporiing spindle.

devices for rotating the spindle.

from either cotton,- smd brushes bainv operative for pick brushespvotallysupportedfiom the-swindle, a brush-supporting spindle, devicesfor T0- a device- 50! reversing the direction of mmsiting the spmdie,and n'mchanism for rewrsnon, am a receptmm ior recelvmg pmkcd 111g thdu'eumon ol'rotutlou at W111.

in testimony whereof, l have signed ifkxis spsmiwarhon m the presence oftwo subssanb- 15 Euzmgmn L. MAQFATE, Ema. R. CATL'IN.

ing and said receptacle 09mg; opwative for receiving picked cottonwhuteve-r be the direction of rotatiml.

23. In a cotton picker, 2. snindie-a"" ing frame, a frame support,.lexibia tigns suspending the frame. from its

